Spring from Si Ji Tu (2005) for orchestra
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Si Ji Tu is an ancient form of Chinese art in which four paintings of the same scene are placed side-by-side, each representing one of the four seasons. The images not only differ in season, but also in perspective. In some art, each scene is viewed from a different angle; others have small, but noticeable differences from one season to the next, such as a displaced tree or the absence of a rock. This movement, Spring, reflects upon the concept of growth from nothingness to life teeming with energy. The melodic material is derived from E ascending F#. The harmonic language consists of two hexachords, each being the first six pitches of the major scale, a tritone apart. In this way, the aggregate is presented in a way that alludes to Chinese pentatonicism. Also, the growth is reflected harmonically through the use of a chromatic cluster that begins with three pitches and grows to nineteen pitches by the end.